Clearer for textile machines



April 7, 1956 F. A. PRESTON 2,741,802

CLEARER FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Filed Oct. 15, 1952 1 5 2 l {H W W W" g i L l [)h J ml W INVENTOR.

FREDERICK A. PRESTON Biz/1%: 5 M

ATTORNEY United States Patent CLEARER FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Frederick A. Preston, Union, S. C., assignor to Deering Milliken Research Corporation, near Pendleton, Oconee County, S. C., a corporation of Delaware Application October 15, 1952, Serial No. 314,805

4 Claims. (Cl. 19-139) This invention relates to a clearer for textile machines and is directed more particularly to a tandem reciprocating clearer for drawing frames, spinning frames and the like.

Textile machines of the class just mentioned are normally provided with a plurality of fluted metallic bottom rolls and a corresponding plurality of top weight rolls superposed with respect to the bottom rolls and in contactual relationship therewith. The bottom rolls are positively driven, the rates of rotation thereof being dependent upon the position of the rolls with respect to the frame, generally increasing from back to front. By virtue of their surface engagement with the driven bottom rolls, the top weight rolls also rotate at speeds equal to that of the corresponding bottom rolls.

conventionally, the top rolls are covered with a thick annular layer of rubber, cork, leather or some other relatively non-durable material which over long periods of use is gradually worn away, causing a substantial reduction in the diameter of the rolls. Thus it is possible and even probable for the diameters of the top rolls to vary rather widely within a given set as, for example, when a new roll is placed adjacent one which has been in service for a number of years. In addition, it is very common to employ rolls of initially different diameters on a single frame. In flat clearing devices heretofore utilized, no provision has been made to accommodate rolls of different diameters; the device merely contacting those rolls having the largest diameter, with the result that those rolls of smaller diameter are not cleared.

Furthermore, the fixed flat and rotating clearers of the prior art have been notoriously deficient in their clearing action, the flat clearers being unable to prevent the accumulation of lint and fly in eye-brows which tend to re-enter the sliver as slubs and the rotary clearers being guilty of rat-tailing and possessing poor resistance to the formation of laps. It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a flat clearer which will automatically compensate for rolls of varying diameters and will furnish an equally effective clearing action for all the rolls.

Another object of this invention is to provide a clearing means which is self-cleaning, not subject to the formation of eye-brows or rat-tails thereon, and possesses excellent resistance to lap-ups.

Other and further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side view of my improved clearer shown with certain related parts of a conventional drawing frame,

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure l, and

Figure 3 is a partial sectional view through one of my flat clearers, illustrating the preferred construction thereof.

According to the present invention, a pair of flat clearer members are pivotally linked together, each of such members being capable of independent rotation movement. The links joining the two members are in turn pivotally connected to a rock shaft oscillating through a limited arc. The undersurface of the clearing members make substantially tangential contact with the drafting rolls of the textile machine and by virtue of their connection to the rock shaft are given a reciprocating motion in a direction transversely of the axes of the drafting rolls.

Turning now to a detailed description of my invention, in Figure l numerals 11 through 14 indicate the fluted bottom rolls of a conventional drafting frame which rolls are driven by means not shown, the numerals 11 through 14' designating the corresponding top weight rolls. As shown in this figure, the odd numbered rolls are of smaller diameter than are the even numbered rolls, which difference, as has already been explained, may result either from wear or from the selection of rolls of initially different diameters. Spaced rearwardly of the rolls is a shaft 15 on which a pair of crank arms 16 are mounted. Fastened to the crank arm 16 is one end of a link 17, the other end of which is eccentrically attached to the face of a rotating disc 18 driven by means not shown.

Resting against the top weight rolls 11 through 14 are a pair of flat clearer members 21 and 22, member 21 being in engagement with the rear rolls 11' and 12 and member 22 in engagement with the front rolls 13 and 14. The members 21 and 22 are pivotably interconnected by a pair of links 23 and 23, the ends of which are secured to the end walls of the clearer members by any suitable means, such as threaded members 25.

In order to connect the links 23 and 23 to the crank arms 16, a pair of connecting rods 26 and 26' are employed, one end of each of which is connected to one of the links at any suitable point along its length, the other end being pinned to the crank arm 16. Tubular spacers 28 are utilized separating the ends of the connecting rods 26 and 26' from the links 23 and 23' in order to insure adequate clearance between these elements to permit freedom of movement for the links.

Figure 3 illustrates the preferred construction of the clearer members 21 and 22 and in this figure the uppermost portion or layer of the clearer members is wood, the next layer 31 is metal, the third layer 32 is sponge rubber and the fourth and outermost layer 33 is calfskin, leather, synthetic rubber or other smooth, flexible material. The function of the metal layer is to give an adequate amount of weight to the clearer member so that the members will be maintained in close engagement with the surfaces of the drawing rolls while the function of the sponge rubber layer 32 is to provide a resileint backing for the outer layer 33. This latter feature serves to increase the area of contact between the drawing rolls and the clearer members, reducing wear on the outer cover, and, in addition, permits the clearer members to accommodate rolls having slightly uneven surfaces.

In the illustrated embodiment, it will be understood that the sliver passes between the nips of the rolls 11 through 14 and 11' through 14' and in so doing transfers a certain amount of lint to the top rolls 11' through 14. This lint is then removed from the top rolls by virtue of the reciprocating and sliding action of the clearer members on the top rolls so that the latter are effectively maintained in a clean condition.

As is evident from Figure 1, my improved construction results in a clearer device capable of automatically adjusting to rolls of varying diameters even though the difference in such diameters is quite large. Another advantage of my device is that it is almost wholly self-cleaning. Those stray fibers which are picked up by the top roll and transferred to the clearer members are immediately returned to the sliver instead of being allowed to accumulate; hence, the amount of waste collected by the clearer is drastically reduced and the introduction of slubs into the sliver prevented.

Obviously, the instant invention is subject to minor variations by those skilled in the art. For example, it a could easily be modified to clean the bottom rolls of a textile machine should such be desired, For this reason, I do not wish to be limited by the specific embodiment illustrated, but only by the scope of theclaims' hereunto appended.

Having thus described my invention, that which is claimed is:

1. The combination with. a textile machine including a plurality of drafting rolls and an os'cillatable shaft having a pair of crank arms thereon of means contacting said rolls to clear the same, said means comprising a pair of flat clearers, one surface of: which rests against said rolls, a pair of. links, one end of each of which is pivotally secured to the ends of one of said clearers, the other ends of said links being pivotally secured to the ends of the other of said clearers, and a pair of connecting rods attached at one end to said crank arms and at the other to said links.

2. In a textile machine having: a horizontal row of more than two, spaced, substantially parallel and driven: drawing rolls thereon for drafting textile fibres wherein the levels of the upper surfaces of adjacent rolls vary at irregular intervals and a pair of spaced reciprocable arms movable transversely above said rolls; the combination of at least two parallel flat-bottomedclearer members testing upon said rolls, said clearer members being of such width as to engage only twoof said rolls simultaneously, a bar pivotally connected to each of said reciprocable arms, and a pivotal connection between opposite ends of each clearer member and said bars, the latter pivotal connections being disposed on opposite sides of the points a at which the bars are pivotally connected to said arms and substantially in alinement with the axial centers of gravity of said clearer members.

row of drafting rolls positioned generally in the same plane and a rockable shaft of a plurality of flat clearers resting against said rolls, said clearers being joined in tandem fashion and capable of independent pivotal movement about their individual axes and also capable of independent movement in a plane generally transverse to the plane of said rolls, and each of said clearers being of such width as to engage only two of the rollssimultaneously, whereby said clearers automatically adjust to rolls of varying diameters, and means connecting said clearers to said rockable shaft, whereby said clearers are given a reciprocating motion in a direction transverse to the axes of said drafting rolls.

4. The combination with textile machine having drafting rolls and an oscillatabl'e crank arm of at least two fiat surfaced, elongated clearers contacting said rolls and adapted to clear the same, rod means carried by said oscillatable crank arm to impart a reciprocating movement tosaid clearers, and means permitting pivotal movement,- with respect to said rod means, of each of said clearers about two axes spaced from each other and extending, in each instance, generally longitudinally of the clearer, said two axes being so disposed with respect to said clearer as to permit the clearer to readily adjust torolls of differ ent diameters.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,727,512 Mallott -.l- Sept. 10, 1929 1,933,504 Martin Oct. 31-, 1933 2,509,982 Miller May 30, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 19,665 Great Britain of 1895 287,993 Great Britain Apr. 5, 1928 

